Ida – The Oldest Complete Primate Skeleton In The World

Ida can currently be seen in the exhibition "Stones and bones" in Colletts house

The fossil Ida. Photo: Per Aas, NHM

Ida is the world’s oldest complete primate skeleton, and the most valuable object exhibited at The Natural History Museum of Oslo. She was bought by the museum in 2007, and presented to the world in 2009.

Ida fascinates us in several ways:

The dramatic story about the unfortunate little girl, still with her milk teeth, who had a broken wrist, was poisoned, fell in the water, and drowned.

The superb state of preservation of the fossil

What the fossil can tell us about the evolutionary history of mankind

The secrecy surrounding the fossil from the time it was found in 1983 until it became publicly known

The meticulously planned launch, with a book, a made-for-TV documentary, a website, huge press conferences and correspondingly great media coverage